finding ancestors career

That's a helpful result for Rebecka,Rob.


An Official Number O.N. 339322. ...and King Line Ltd., (Cayzer, Irvine & Company Ltd., managers.

Well Done!

Ran a search using the ON 339322 both through Kew and Canada database and both came back as no Log Books & Crew Agreements existing. Sorry.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/c...44&image1.y=13

http://www.mun.ca/mha/holdings/viewc...cial_No=339322

I have a feeling ,back in my memory that this caught fire in the fitting out berth and the shipyard sent for the local fire brigaded who took an hour to appear , by which time the ships crew had put the fire out . That is why I was sure it was a King Line ( Cayzers ) ship . I knew one of the engineers on it at the time , but cannot remember who it was .

My brother, who also served on the King Alfred, and I done the maiden voyage from Cadiz on the King James, she caught fire when transferring from shore power to the ship's gennies. Thankfully the only time I ever abandoned ship.

We were both employed by Cayzer Irvine at the time

Many crew members seen this as bad luck and refused to sail on her, some even applying self inflicted injuries like broken arms, any reason not to sail. The ship's funnel, black with two horizontal red lines, was daubed with paint slogans "Pay us off!" "Fly us home!" etc The skipper was furious! After abandoning ship in port, we stayed in a local hotel for a few weeks before eventually sailing to Brazil, anyone remember 'The Karuba Bush'? and loading up with iron ore.

Next stop was Europe and Amsterdam was where we both discharged and flew home to UK.